Patriots Take Defensive Route To Superdome

Not with Drew Bledsoe's arm at quarterback. Not with running back Curtis Martin's moves. Not with Terry Glenn's grace at wide receiver.

But there it is: The Patriots are headed to Super Bowl XXXI off a huge effort Sunday by an underrated and overachieving defense.

After the Patriots had beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-6 at Foxboro Stadium in the AFC Championship Game, even the great Bledsoe had to bow to his tough- tackling mates.

``Bill [Parcells] has said for a long time that defense wins championships,'' Bledsoe said, ``and our defense stepped up and won the ballgame for us.''

The Patriots will play the Green Bay Packers Jan. 26 at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Packers won the NFC title by defeating the Carolina Panthers, 30-13.

In the Patriots' only other Super Bowl, they lost 46-10 to the Chicago Bears to close the 1985 season.

The '85 Bears had one of the best defenses of all time. And while these Patriots certainly aren't in that company, they ain't bad.

In two playoff games, including a 28-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots have not allowed a touchdown.

The improbable run by the upstart Jaguars, who had won seven in a row, came to an end because the Patriots were able to come up with big plays on defense.

The biggest was made by safety Willie Clay, whose nickname is ``Big Play.''

Clay's interception in the end zone with the Jaguars at the Patriots 5-yard line with 3 minutes, 43 seconds left preserved a 13-6 New England lead.

Clay hung onto a bullet thrown by Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell.

``All that really matters is we won the game,'' Clay said. ``Defensively, we haven't been great all year, but when we needed to make a play, we have.''

They needed one more even after Clay had seemingly sealed the trip to New Orleans.

The inability of the Patriots offense to generate much of anything on this frigid, windswept day, allowed the Jaguars to get the ball back with time (2:24) and field position (their 42).

But on the first play, linebacker Chris Slade -- a key to the defense along with end Willie McGinest all game -- knocked the ball loose from running back James Stewart.

The ball never touched the ground, instead going to the waiting arms of cornerback Otis Smith, who returned 47 yards for a touchdown. That score, with 2:24 remaining, was the crowning touch of the big defensive effort.

``Guys made plays and stepped up,'' Patriots defensive end Mike Jones said. ``That has been the thing with this defense. We just got better and better and better.''

The defense bailed out an offense that produced only 234 yards. The Patriots had only one drive to speak of, 68 yards that resulted in a field goal.

The Patriots' first touchdown was set up by a botched punt that gave them the ball at the Jacksonville 4, and their other field goal came after a fumble on a punt return.

The Patriots defense has not allowed a touchdown in its past 10 quarters, dating from the first half of the regular season finale against the Giants. In the last seven games, the defense has allowed 64 points (9.1 a game).

In addition to a power failure that delayed the game 11 minutes midway through the first quarter, the first half was marked by some brazen coaching by Parcells.

Rather than sit on a 10-3 lead, the Patriots called two timeouts and gambled on fourth- and-3 at the Jacksonville 45 with seconds remaining.

The Patriots, who had taken possession at their 29 with 1:29 left, converted the risky fourth-down play with a 5-yard pass to tight end Ben Coates.

Still not in field goal range as they drove into a 20 mph wind, the Patriots made the strategy look good when Bledsoe completed a 37-yard pass to Shawn Jefferson to the 3.

With 8 seconds remaining and out of timeouts, Bledsoe tried one pass into the end zone but wound up throwing it away when he could not locate a receiver.

There were 4 seconds remaining, but after momentarily contemplating another play, Parcells waved in the field goal unit. Adam Vinatieri's 20-yard field goal gave the Patriots a 13-3 lead.

The Patriots had taken a 7-0 lead on Martin's 1-yard run only 2:26 into the first quarter. A high snap from center Rick Griffith, a former Patriot, to punter Bryan Barker caused the Jaguars to give up the ball at their 4.

The Jaguars got a 32-yard field goal by Mike Hollis with 10:33 remaining in the second quarter. Vinatieri kicked a 29-yard field goal with 7:23 remaining in the half.

In the second half, the Patriots maintained a 13-3 lead until a fumble by Bledsoe allowed the Jaguars to move in for a field goal. Hollis' 28-yarder made it 13-6 with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter.

The Patriots missed an opportunity to push the lead back to 10 when Vinatieri hooked a 46-yard field goal attempt wide with 8:42 left in the game.

Then Jacksonville threatened to tie. The Jaguars started at their 37, but in seven plays they moved to first-and-goal at the Patriots 6.

After running back Natrone Means gained a yard, Brunell looked into the end zone for tight end Derek Brown. Enter Clay.

``I didn't see the back-side safety,'' Brunell said. ``He did a good job defending the play and stepped right in front of the pass.''

Leading the cheers at that moment was the Patriots offense.

``This is what being a team is about,'' Jefferson said. ``If one component of a machine breaks down, the other parts have to kick in. The defense carried us, and that is going to happen sometimes. It carried us and we were lucky to get away with this victory.''